"New York simmers with heat and unrest as Wyeth, a painter, finds himself at an impasse in his own work. After attending a dubious show put on by a collective of careerist artists, he retreats to a bar in the West Village where he meets Keating, a former seminarian. Over the long summer, as the two get to know each another, they talk and argue about God, sex, and art. Meanwhile, at his job working for an art restorer, Wyeth begins to investigate the life and career of a forgotten, minor black artist. His search yields potential answersto questions that Wyeth is only now beginning to ask about what it means to be a black artist making black art amid the mess and beauty of life itself"--

In Minor Black Figures, Brandon Taylor follows Wyeth, a painter struggling with his art and identity amid a tense New York summer. After meeting Keating, a former seminarian, Wyeth engages in probing conversations about faith, desire, and creativity while researching the life of a neglected Black artist through his work in art restoration. As his investigation deepens, he confronts questions about what it means to be a Black artist in a complex world. The novel offers a nuanced portrait of art, friendship, belief, and self-discovery within the competitive art scene